138 TREATISE ON THE 



high winds, unless properly secured against such 

 accidents. Before the vine pushes into leaf, each 

 stake should be examined as from decay or other 

 causes, should the prop be weakened, and not 

 sufficiently driven into the ground, it may be 

 unable to sustain the weight when the plant shall 

 be in full foliage. 



Should the wines be prostrated by the high 

 winds, to which our summer is so peculiarly 

 liable, the product of that year will inevitably be 

 destroyed, and the vine itself seriously injured. 

 The height of the stock or vine from the main 

 trunk, should not be less than six inches. Short 

 pruning exposes the branch to injury in working 

 in the vineyard, and the frost will inflict a greater 

 damage, than where the branches are longer and 

 more elevated. 



The grapes growing near the ground are ex- 

 posed to premature decay, as well as to the at- 

 tacks of insects, whilst, on the contrary, those 

 that are at too great an elevation, do not produce 

 in such abundance, and give a wine of greatly in- 

 ferior quality. The parasitic plants must not 

 be pulled with force, or dragged off with the 

 hand, but carefully separated by cutting the roots 

 with a sharp instrument, or, as before mentioned, 

 rubbed off with the scrubbing brush. In planting 

 the cuttings, I have ever found the period to be 

 most favourable as the vine begins to swell, and 

 is about to burst into leaf, as the ground about 

 that time is warm, and has sufficient moisture to 

 favour the vegetation. Care should be taken to 

 examine each bud on the cutting, after it has 

 been planted a week or two; and should any one 



